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Neveh Shalom wins Idea Generator award
Congregation Neveh Shalom, in partnership with two other West
Coast Conservative congregations, won the learning category in
the “Idea Generator – Visionary Awards.”
United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism honored those who
look to the future and develop creative solutions for the in-person/
virtual engagement dilemmas of the post-pandemic environment.
Entries focused on three categories: learning ideas; programming
ideas; and ritual ideas.
Neveh Shalom Director of Congregational Learning Mel Berwin
worked with educators at Congregation Beth Shalom in Seattle
and Mosaic Law Congregation in Sacramento to develop a virtual
program for families at the three congregations who don’t want or
can’t send their kids in person.
Mel says that she and her collaborators hope their innovative pro-
gram will remain an idea here, but one that congregations in other JFGP 2 Life takes fifth in Hood to Coast relay
parts of the country will be able to implement. She says the idea as- The Hood to Coast team sponsored by the Jewish Federation of
sumed each congregation has just a few students needing a virtual Greater Portland finished fifth in the mixed masters category with a
option and one program for all would provide the best experience. time of 27 hours and 41 minutes. JFGP 2 Life team members from
“This program concept was based on the thinking that most of our left are: (back) Glen Coblens, Tracey Ducheck, Lauren Goldstein,
families would feel comfortable coming back in person and a few Ray Mazloomi, Ben Drucker, Mark Zeitzer, Aaron Freedman and
families from each congregation would want or need to be online),” Michael Wu; (and front) Jenn Director Knudsen, Jessica Hilbert,
says Mel. “With the Delta variant so concerning right now, CNS has Tonja Kraatz and Phil Zald. “The ingredients for a stellar Hood to
shifted our Sunday program so that we’ll be alternating weeks of Coast relay involve a positive and interesting group of van-mates,
in-person and online instruction for our K-6 community, and each chocolate chip challah for Shabbat (thanks to Jenn Knudsen), epic
family can choose what works best for them throughout the fall. sunsets/sunrises and moderate temperatures and LOTS of ruach,”
says Lauren. “Such a fun group and an epic feat. I like to think
The other two congregations I worked with are also making arrange- we did the community proud … and this swag is the coolest stuff
ments that meet the needs of their student and family bodies.” around with the JFGP logo on it.”
Since winners in each category presented a webinar on their
ideas, even if it is not implemented here, congregations with differ- glish or Spanish with shopkeepers who spoke only Portuguese.
ent conditions can put the collaborative online school into action. “As a physician, I immediately thought: What if I have a medical
OJCF hires office manager Dannica Anderson emergency in Brazil where I can’t communicate my past medical
The Oregon Jewish Community Foundation welcomes Dannica history or my real-time current symptoms?” says Dr. Ciporkin.
Each passport-sized booklet provides concise, detailed and per-
Anderson (she/they) to the staff as Office Manager. The friendly sonalized medical information of the traveler translated into one
voice greeting callers to the foundation belongs to Dannica. She of several available foreign languages. This medical information
supports all aspects of the foundation by pro- can save valuable time if the traveler needs to see a health-care
viding office management and administrative provider abroad while not being proficient in the native language.
support, by staffing the board of trustees and Individual booklets can be ordered in Spanish, Japanese, Chinese
other foundation committees, and by coor- and Arabic. For groups with an order of 100 or more booklets, the
dinating the Professional Advisors Group company will arrange booklets in any foreign language.
(PAG). “This revolutionary product based on years of educational train-
Dannica has extensive experience in opera- ing and clinical experience can markedly decrease the language
tions management, program management and barriers and communication limitations that currently exist in in-
customer service and is excited to learn more ternational travel,” he says. “The essence of this company is not
about the world of nonprofit organizations. only based on the concept of tikkun olam, but on the Jewish con-
She is a recent transplant to Portland and is cept that if you save one life you’ve saved the world.”
open to recommendations for restaurants, parks and hidden gems. For more information, visit globalhealthpassport.com.
She can be reached at dannicaa@ojcf.org and 503-248-9328.
Please join us in welcoming Dannica to OJCF and Oregon. Mediation company reaches out
“Dannica has quickly become a valuable and valued member of Blend Mediation, a mediation company, is collaborating with
the OJCF family. She brings strong customer service and adminis- JWiz, a Jewish professional services guide, to provide mediation
trative support as well as great enthusiasm. Dannica complements services to the Jewish community.
the OJCF’s strong team, which allows the foundation to build upon “We are passionate about mediation as a first resort to conflict res-
our services, guidance, and care for donors and community part- olution. Our goal is to shift paradigms and raise awareness about
ners,” says Tara Siegman, vice president of philanthropy. the important role mediation can play in the human experience. We
believe that tradition can be fostered and fulfilled in and with the
Global Health Passport helps travelers Jewish community,” says Blend founder Alisa Kharis.
George Ciporkin, D.D.S, M.D., of Beaverton, founded Global Alisa has been a litigant, a jurist, an attorney and an adjudicator
Health Passport in 2016 to help travelers have a convenient medi- in her professional career. She has experience in relationship and
cal record when visiting other countries. family issues, separation, divorce, parenting and support issues,
His family immigrated in 1963 to Miami from Argentina, which custody, and adoption, as well as property, estate and probate, hu-
then had the largest Jewish population in Latin America. His fam- man resources, general business, real estate, landlord/tenant and
ily joined a Miami congregation, and in high school he belonged neighborhood disputes.
to BBYO. He got the idea for the health passports when he was in Mediation sessions are available now and can be booked online at
Brazil and realized that he could not communicate in either En- blendmediation.com or by phone at 888-301-8311.
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